Paper files and spreadsheets can only take a trucking operation so far. Once you're managing several trucks, drivers, brokers and a steady stream of rate confirmations, PODs and invoices, a transportation management system (TMS) keeps that work in one place.
Logistical Forwarding Solutions (LFS) doesn't build or sell software. We use a third-party TMS, Ascend TMS, for day-to-day transportation management. This article explains what a TMS like Ascend does and why it fits the way we work.
What Ascend TMS is
Ascend TMS is a cloud-based transportation management system made by an outside software company. It runs in a web browser and on iOS and Android devices, and it's used by carriers, brokers and other transportation companies to manage loads, documents, drivers and billing.
Why we use it
We use Ascend TMS because it puts the information our team works with every day in one place:
- Loads and dispatch. Load details, appointments, stops and status sit in one record, so everyone working the load sees the same information.
- Documents. Rate confirmations, BOLs, PODs and driver documents are stored with the load they belong to, which makes billing faster and cleaner.
- Maintenance and fleet records. Tracking service schedules and vehicle records helps us plan maintenance before it interrupts a load.
- Reporting. Reports on lanes, customers and dispatch activity help us decide where to focus.
- Accounting connections. Invoicing and settlements can be handled in the system or connected to outside accounting software.
- ELD and telematics connections. Location and hours-of-service information from connected devices can be viewed alongside the load.
Ease of use matters too. A system the whole team can learn quickly gets used consistently, and consistent use is what makes the records useful.
What a TMS can and can't do
A TMS is a tool. It doesn't run the business by itself. Used well, it can help a trucking company:
- Work more efficiently, by cutting re-keying and keeping load information in one place.
- Communicate better, by giving dispatchers current status to share with brokers and customers.
- See problems sooner, through reporting on lanes, customers, maintenance and driver activity.
- Grow without starting over, since cloud systems can usually add users and modules as a company grows.
- Keep control of costs, by making it easier to see where money goes on each load.
Results depend on how consistently the system is used and how clean the data going into it is.
Security
Like most cloud software, Ascend TMS uses measures such as encrypted connections and user logins. No system can promise that a breach will never happen, so the people using it matter just as much as the software:
- Give each person their own login, and remove access when someone leaves.
- Use strong, unique passwords.
- Share only the access each person needs.
- Be careful with requests to share logins or documents outside the system.
Our freight fraud resources cover more of these habits.
How this fits our services
The TMS is part of how we deliver our dispatch services and back office services. It keeps loads, paperwork and billing organized so carriers can get paid on time and see what's happening in their business.
If you're comparing systems for your own company, our article on what freight broker and trucking software should do walks through the features to look for. And if you'd like help organizing your operation, talk with us.
